Scrutinizing body language between Obama and Putin has become something of a pastime in diplomatic circles.  The contrast in their personal styles, Putin brash and macho, Obama more professorial and sometimes self-conscious, was also on display at APEC.

At a tree-planting ceremony at the summit venue, Putin swaggered up, chest out, and shoveled mud onto the roots of a partially-planted tree.  Obama walked up with his hands clasped behind his back, picked up the shovel, grinning slightly, and piled mud on his tree, according to a pool report of the event.  When a Spanish-language camera crew called for his attention, Obama responded with “Hey, hombre” and waved.

What Putin has succeeded in doing is making deals with China that will leave Russia less vulnerable to the West.  The impact of economic sanctions against Russia has been softened by new deals between Russia and China.

Economic considerations could prove the main factor in forcing Russia’s foreign and domestic policy to gradually normalize and evolve toward greater caution and responsibility, writes Vladimir Ryzhkov. The annexation of] Crimea will cost Russia one percentage point in economic growth, or 360 billion rubles ($9 billion) in unpaid wages and accelerated inflation due to the weakening ruble. In fact, Crimea will contribute about three percentage points to inflation this year…. Although the Russian people continue celebrating the annexation of Crimea and giving the authorities sky-high ratings, the first signs of trouble are now appearing…. As Russia’s Crimean-Ukrainian project incurs an increasingly heavy expense, the economy itself will provide an unerring litmus test of the soundness of Kremlin strategy.

The current hidden costs of the annexation of Crimea are hitting the oil and gas industries mostt prominently.  Meetings in China suggest that looking East is Putin’s best bet, as cash from the oligarchs and other big Russian businesses exit the country.

China is creating a new Silk Road to join its neighbors with roads, railways and ports.  The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank has 21 countries aboard its infrastructure project.  The Chinese government has announced the investment of another $40 billion dollars.

China is not seeking to dominate the region, however.  It is looking for a win-win situation.  “One belt, one road” is open to all countries who wish to join, regardless of their political regime.  China is distrusted and the government will have to work hard to get rid of this image.  Mexico suddenly cancelled a rail contract, for instance.

China’s “one belt, one road” is very ambitious.  The entire world is being invited to join.  China seems to understand the wish of developing countries to develop first and to do so without encumbrances from the West.

Some countries may see this as an effort by China to dominate the world.  Others may fear dependence on China.  But so far China is taking all the right steps.

Keith Johnson writes:  Russia and China took a giant step toward closer economic and political ties with an agreement on another massive energy deal that promises to tighten the bear hug between Moscow and Beijing for decades to come.

The preliminary accord, which comes just months after China and Russia inked a $400 billion natural gas deal, is a reflection of the shifting balance of power in Asia. It’s a marriage based on needs: Russia’s to break out of the isolation imposed by the West in the wake of its annexation of Crimea and China’s for reliable and affordable sources of energy.

Coupled with China’s new trade pacts with U.S. partners such as Austraia and South Korea to a push for Chinese-led development banks that can wrest financing muscle from the West — the latest gas deal shows what kind of challenges await the U.S. economic and diplomatic pivot to Asia.

Russia and China signed a memorandum of understanding on a second gas-export route from western Siberia to China’s western provinces. The 30-year accord, if consummated, would see Russia ship 30 billion cubic meters of gas to China starting in 2018 and would see Russia gain a big new customer right as it is feeling the squeeze from Western financial sanctions. Together with the deal signed in May, Russia could supply at least 68 billion cubic meters of gas annually to China, or about one-fifth of that country’s expected gas demand in 2020.

The deal is far from complete, but it shows the direction of Russia-China relations. Moscow has intensified its efforts to make a deal since the West slapped sanctions on it energy, defense and finance sectors. China too seems more enthusiastic.  China is trying to reduce the importance of coal in its energy mix.  It needs huge amounts of natural gas. While the country ramps up its own production and has gas-import deals with Central Asian countries and more than a dozen gas-importing terminals mushrooming on the coast, Russia’s massive gas fields offer a close and ready supply of clean fuel.